Malta Song Contest 2026: The 12 Finalists Are In
Malta Picks Its Twelve Finalists and Suddenly Saturday Feels Very Important
Malta did the thing tonight. Eighteen artists walked into the Malta Song Contest semi-final with the same goal and only twelve of them walked out knowing they’d be back on stage on Saturday.
That’s Eurovision maths. Brutal, but familiar.
The show took place at the MFCC in Ta’ Qali and, from the first note, it was clear this wasn’t just another midweek selection show. This was Malta narrowing the field, properly. Decisions had to be made. Songs had to land. And some very polite disappointment was inevitable.
Hosting duties were handled by Keane Cutajar, joined by two faces the Maltese audience knows very well. Destiny Chukunyere, who won Junior Eurovision in 2015 and later carried Malta’s hopes in 2020 and 2021, was back where she belongs, alongside Gaia Cauchi, Junior Eurovision winner in 2013 and still very much part of Malta’s Eurovision DNA.
And because Eurovision nights are rarely content with staying neatly on script, Tommy Cash showed up as a special guest. Estonia’s former Eurovision representative in Basel brought his unmistakable energy to the stage, just in case anyone needed reminding that Eurovision can look very different depending on who’s holding the microphone.
The Twelve Who Made It (And Lived to Sing Again)
After the votes were combined, with professional juries and public televoting doing the heavy lifting together, these are the twelve acts heading to Saturday’s final:
- Ema – Achikuku (Don’t Think About It)
- Matthew Cilia – Brutality Mentality
- Denise – Trophy
- Kelsie Borg – Let a Girl Breathe
- Aidan – Bella
- Adria Twins – Nerġà nqum
- Mark Anthony Bartolo – Mumenti sbieħ
- Janice Mangion – Univers
- Matt Blxck – Ejja lejja ħdejja ‘l hawn (The Flute)
- Nathan Psaila – Ganador
- Mychael Bartolo Chircop – My Sweet Angel
Twelve very different moods, sounds and ideas of what a Eurovision song should be. Which is exactly how a national final should feel at this stage.
One Step Away From Vienna
Now comes the part where everything tightens. These twelve artists will return on Saturday with one clear objective: winning the ticket to Vienna and becoming Malta’s next Eurovision representative.
They’ll be trying to follow Miriana Conte, who represented the island last year in Basel and finished 17th with Serving. A solid result, but one that still leaves room for Malta to dream a little bigger.
And that’s where things get interesting.
One final left.
One decision to make.
And twelve artists who now know they’re close enough to touch it.
Saturday can’t come quickly enough.
